Tips: How do you ask others to take precautions after your transplant?

@sarahdemare04, how to make other people around you to respect the immunocompromised state post transplant is a good question to ask members here. To do so, I made your question into a new discussion.

@rosemarya @craigcraig @gphetteplace @gingerw @jolinda, what tips would you share with Sarah about informing others about being immunocompromised and what they can and should do to keep you safe?

@sarahdemare04 Many times when someone has a transplant, friends and family are aware of the situation. This is an excellent time to educate everyone on how the patient has to now change the way they interact with people, food products, hygiene, etc. And, it reinforces to the patient just how careful they need to be!

Wearing a mask? Say, "it's for your protection as well as mine!"
Wiping things down with bacterial wipes? Say, "You can't be too careful!"
Offer the information "I went to a lot of trouble to get this transplant. I want it to be as successful as possible! That includes being very careful about germs and such. Thank you for understanding my situation."
Ginger

Hi. Better to be lucky than good but I am 2.5 years in from a full liver transplant and doing pretty well. I have only gotten sick twice. They have reduced my Tac over time and no signs of rejection.

Wore my mask faithfully the first year when out side the house. Some folks still do after years and it serves them well. Case by case. When someone goes to shake my hand I humbly share I am immunocompromised and offer a fist pump. 100% of the time the person is sympathetic and often wants to know more. When at a wedding, party or convention where the meal is buffet style I go to the host and ask if the folks doing the food could make me a plate before it is put out. 100 % of the time they very graciously agree. I have brought the subject up many times when meeting folks and usually get sympathy and conversation and have never gotten a negative reaction. Very best of luck to your father !! Glad he is doing well (---:

@colleenyoung - My transplant was in March 2020. Everyone was already starting to quarantine by the time I recovered from surgery.

In the end, we all need to be the protector of our transplant. You can and should talk to people but they will sometimes forget about your condition, especially if you lead a relatively normal life. If I'm going to be in a car or other confined space with people, I will ask if everyone is feeling good or has been around any sick people recently. I will also be on the lookout for any sneezing, coughing, sweating or other symptoms, and avoid any risky situations. As the saying goes, trust but verify.

In public settings, I do not wear a mask but I enforce my personal space and everyone gets a fist bump. You have to discipline yourself to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth after touching people or items in public. Keep a tube of hand sanitizer in your pocket and use it like you bought stock in the company.

As others have said, try and get first dibs at family style/buffet meals to avoid the meal becoming a source of infection.

The truth is no matter how vigilant you are, you're still going to get sick on occasion. Yes, we have weakened immune systems but that doesn't mean they're non-existent or totally ineffective. Take precautions but get out there and live your life.

@gingerw I had a double lung transplant 5/5/22. My friends and family are still aware that I am very careful about getting sick. I wear my mask whenever I am out of the house. It is a little bit harder when I am in the hospital and don't have a private room. Then I wear my mask all the time except when I am in the bathroom or shower room. I try not to shake people's hands. When I do I use hand sanitizer afterwards. I attend church via zoom so that I don't need to pass the peace with people that might be sick.
If I am planning to see a friend and they have even a tickle in their throat they will cancel and I will rebook when I get to see them. Just in case they are starting to come down with something.
I have caught COVID since my transplant once and just needed to be on special medication for it. I have also learned that I can't have salad from certain restaurants because of cross contamination. I contracted E.coli from the salad once and that is enough for me. I still don't eat from buffets, food trucks or other street vendors. This has been a bit harder, since there is a lot of places that I am invited that have a buffet. It is better to just have a granola bar in your purse to eat instead.

I try to stay away from people and big crowds I now watch church on my phone instead, I haven’t been sick once since my liver transplant 3 1/2 years ago my social life is swimming at my club i never go out to eat ever and I use an app when I shop for the quality of food called YUKA I highly recommend that for everyone , I can’t breathe wearing a mask but I don’t live super paranoid just cautious

@chickytina Gosh, I wish my husband would take a page from your book! He had a kidney transplant 10 years ago, and is simply nonplussed about being careful. No mask, eats where he wants, etc. It had been a source of conflict between us. You see, I am immune compromised because of my blood cancer treatments, and follow strict guidelines myself. So, when he goes off on his multi-day trips, he has to test negative with a home Covid test before I will kiss him hello! And I really get you when it comes to having a granola bar available.
Ginger

After three and a half years after my kidney transplant, I wash my hands more times a day than anyone else. I am always aware of how clean my surroundings are or not, so where and what I eat. Besides that, I do nothing else. I seem to have gotten fewer colds that the rest of the family and got covid without any real inconvenience.

Good morning from Canada 🍁🇨🇦💪. I had a full liver transplant in October 2020 so right in the middle of covid. I have lived covid lifestyle. I call it since my transplant. I wear a mask outdoors everywhere I go. Doesn't matter if it's Costco, the library or a medical building, hospital, doctor's office, etc. everything is a fist pump unless I know you then. It's a hug. And I do have family members that are ad he boxers and I don't hug them. It's a fist bump or an elbow bump but sorry you chose not to hug me. I didn't choose not to hug you. After my transplant my husband made a sign that was on the front door. That said, my wife has just been reborn and given the gift of life. If you do not respect that, please do not.
If you are willing to wear a mask, wash your hands and remain distanced. You are more than welcome to join us in our home. We used to do drive-by visits. I know it sounds funny but my niece has two children that my husband and I adore and love and she used to come by in her car with the kids in the backseat and they'd stop outside and we would go out and talk to them through the car. And it was the most wonderful thing. It was hard. We just wanted to hug the kids but we couldn't and we knew that and they respected it as well. I'm no longer afraid of hurting people's feelings. If you're not going to make life safer for me then don't be a part of my life because I'm not obviously not that important to you. I'm almost 6 years out of my transplant time and people tend to think it's not as important anymore. It's still just as important you're not as vulnerable as you were in the first year. That is true, but you're still vulnerable and you still need to look after yourself. Get your flu shot, get your covid shot and your booster shots. Be wary and cautious. If you are around young children. Ask what vaccines they've had when they're having their vaccines because if they're receiving live vaccines. You might have to rethink visiting the grandchildren for a week because they just had their chickenpox vaccine or something like that. As I liked quote Kermit the frog. It isn't easy being transplanted ❤️❤️❤️😂. Good luck and God bless on your journey